Lover of the Light
by mockingjosh
Summary: They say everything happens for a reason.  I guess Eli has a drunken Adam to thank for that. AU


**Summary: They say everything happens for a reason. I guess Eli has a drunken Adam to thank for that. ONESHOT.**

Eclare.

Eli's POV:

"One more! Just one more Eli!" Adam slurred, asking me for another shot. He had been chugging down hard liquor since his relationship ended.

"Man, just because Katie cheated doesn't mean you have to drown out your sorrows in Vodka shots!" I stated, subtly persuading.

"No, no. You know something, Eli?" He bellowed. I shook my head, holding in a chuckle. "I- I don't need women in my life. I mean, I technically am one, so why should I spend my time chasing them if they are just going to hurt me?" By this time, he was standing on my coffee table, reciting his speech as he paced.

"Very well worded, my man. Couldn't have said it better myself." I mused, looking up at him in his drunken state.

"Laugh it up while you can, Oh Wise One. Speaking of which, what about you, Mr. Lover Boy? Never had a broken heart?" He challenged.

"Adam, have you forgotten? No girl, no matter how beautiful to everyone else, will be _the_girl to me. When she comes along…I'll know, you know?"

Adam stared at me for a moment, and then burst into fits of laughter. "For a second there, I had seized to remember that my best friend is a passionately deep romantic. How charming." He winked, causing me to chuckle.

He took another swig of the Vodka, causing my eyes to widen. "Okay man, I know you're hurt, but you need to lay off the alcohol."

Adam scoffed dramatically. "Oh Eli, what you are oblivious to is the fact that the bottle enjoys me laying on it, so I will continue." He fought, waving his hands around to make a point. "Alright man, you win." I sighed, laughing to myself.

My smile faltered and transformed into a terrified look as Adam's eyes rolled behind his head, collapsed onto the floor, smacking his head onto the table in the process. The vodka bottle was long gone from his hand. I grabbed my phone and shakily dialed 911, as he became unconscious.

"Is he going to be okay?" A panicked version of me had taken my normally sarcastic self.

Adam was being pushed through the hospital doors on a stretcher by many men in blue scrubs as I frantically tried to keep up with them. As I snuck a look at Adam, my gut dropped and it broke my heart to see him like this. All color was lost from his face, his big blue eyes had been replaced with his dainty eyelids, his thin lips were slightly parted, and held none of the usual bright color. His hair was disheveled, not to mention he smelled like a bar, but that was the least of my worries.

I had contacted his mom, and she, of course, blamed this whole situation on me, but nonetheless, would be coming soon to see Adam.

They pushed him through a waiting room, and were leading him through two green doors, when they pushed me back.

"I'm sorry sir, no visitors beyond this point. You can go sit in the waiting room," he suggested, pointing to a small room with just one woman sitting there, reading a magazine, "and we will tell you when your friend is ready to be visited.

"You don't understand! He's my best friend! I can't lose him!"

The doctor put a hand on my shoulder, "You won't. Your friend will be just fine, we just need to make sure that there is nothing else wrong that _would _set back his health." He smiled reassuringly, and walked through the doors as I reluctantly sat down at in the waiting room seats.

Next to me, was a table with a few magazines and a couple of books, one being _Fight Club by Palahniuk._

"What an odd selection of a novel for a hospital waiting room." I muttered in amusement, chuckling to myself.

"I know right?"

I looked up to see a women, maybe a year or two younger than myself, with short, curly auburn hair, petite legs, and when moving my gaze back up to her face, I saw the most beautiful, big, blue eyes staring back at me warmly.

"It seems that the doctors may have no knowledge in the studies of common sense. Palahniuk's dark books aren't exactly the 'comforting' novels you want to read at a hospital of all places! Truly ridiculous." She continued, shaking her head in disbelief as she giggled softly.

I smirked in amusement of the girl's theory. "Finally! Someone other than Adam gets my passion for Chuck!"

She playfully rolled her eyes, "I'm guessing Adam is…." She trailed off; pointing to the two doors they had pushed Adam through.

"Yes ma'am. Best friend of, what is it now? 7 years? Girlfriend cheats on him, he gets drunk, stands on my coffee table, then…kerplunk! He passes out, toppling over onto my floor, hitting his head in the process. And here we are." I sighed shakily.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm Clare."

I met her gaze once again, getting lost in her lovely eyes.

"Eli Goldsworthy, at your service."

"Good to know, _Eli_."

A comfortable silence fell between us, but I felt the need to ask the lingering question in the air.

"If you don't mind my asking, why are you here?"

She looked up and smiled, making my heart flutter. "It's no bother, my best friend Alli is pregnant, and her fiancé Dave has been really busy with work, so he can't make some of her appointments. I come instead. But today? The doctors didn't want me in there, and I quote, 'distracting the patient from her duties with the baby'." She scoffed, using air quotes. "Some things I'll never understand."

I nodded slowly, taking in what she told me. I don't know what it was, but there was something about her that made it extremely comfortable to be around her.

"I see. If I may ask, once again," I smiled, "how old are you?"

"You seem to want to know a lot about me, Goldsworthy. Am I really this intriguing?" She teased, a playful smirk showing up across her face. But she was right. I wanted to know more about her, and it was scary me.

"But of course." I winked, and she rolled her eyes.

"In all seriousness? I'm 22. Just graduated TU in May." She illustrated brightly.

"Hm. What did you major in?" I barely got the sentence out because she answered right away.

"English. Writing is my passion and, forte, if I do say so myself."

"Wow, pretty _and _modest!" I chuckled.

"I'm perfect, thanks." She sang. "But anyways, how old are you?"

"Me? 23, which, like I said, means I met Adam in grade 9, roughly. Saw him reading a copy of the Goon and I went mad. It was heaven, and we are soul mates." I gazed away, putting my hand on my heart dramatically, causing her to throw a magazine at me.

"Ouch woman! You've known me for 30 minutes and you're already turning this relationship into an abusive one?" I placed my hand on my head, feigning hurt, but I only heard her laugh at my actions.

She appeared to be writing something, then shot her head up.

"Can I see something?" She asked me, all the joking from the conversation had been pushed aside for a moment. I was kind of thrown off by her random request, but nonetheless, nodded.

She slowly walked from her chair, over to the one right next to mine, and turned to face me. I soon followed, by mirroring her actions.

She gently brought her soft hand up to my face, caressing my cheek, and then tucking one of my dark locks behind my ear. Bringing her hand up just a little higher, she pushed my bangs out of the view of my eyes. Her other hand was on my chest, right above my pocket. My stomach was doing backflips as she leaned her head closer to me, squinting her eyes as she gazed into mine.

"You have, the most, breathtaking eyes I have ever seen." She whispered simply, and from that moment on, I was swooned.

Wow Clare Edwards; you've caught my interest; and that's a hard thing to do.

I smiled genuinely at her, and her eyes warmed at the sight.

"Mr. Goldsworthy; Adam is ready for visitors now." The doctor said happily, breaking Clare and I from our trance.

"Oh, um, yeah, okay. Tell him I'll be there in a minute." I stated, still staring at Clare.

"Well, um, you should be going. See you around…?" she asked hopefully.

"Guess you will." And I walked away.

"So, how much fun did you have without me in that waiting room?" Adam asked teasingly, but little did he know that the short time in the waiting room was the most fun I've had in a long time.

Turns out, Adam got a very mild case of alcohol poisoning, and I have to make sure to use that to my advantage considering he can't hold his liquor very well. When he fell, he smacked his head which led to a mild concussion. I wonder if Clare and Alli left yet-

And then it hit me. I didn't get her number. "Hey Eli?" Adam said, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Yeah bud?"

"The doctors gave me these pills to help the headaches, can you put them in your pocket?"

"Sure Adam." I sighed, taking the bottle and tucking it into my jacket pocket, when I felt something poking out. It was a small piece of paper.

_236-3728_

_I knew you'd ask, because I'm the interesting person I am.  
>I wish Adam the best, hope he feels better! Later Goldsworthy.<em>

_~Clare Edwards._

And the smile never left my face.


End file.
